Detection of shoreline changes along the coast of Jeddah and its impact on the geomorphological system using GIS techniques and remote sensing data (1951–2018)

The focus of this research was to monitor the spatiotemporal evolution of the Jeddah shoreline and its impact on geomorphological features. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System application (DSAS) was used for the statistical analysis of shoreline changes from 1951 to 2018. Two techniques were utilized to understand the general trend of shoreline movement (linear regression rate–LRR) and the changes between two successive periods (end point rate–EPR). The results show that trends generally shifted from the shoreline to the sea (accretion), particularly in the central part of the city around the port area where the maximum accretion rate reached 47.6 ± 0.2 m/year (an average of 17.8 m/year). These quite high rates are very limited in time and are linked to land reclamation works which have been very frequent in this part of the coast. The boom and bust of Jeddah resulted in human activities on the coast as well as the continued expansion of its port during the monitored period. An area of about 23 km2 of sea and islets was backfilled for port facilities and various geomorphological units have undergone morphodynamic changes. Human intervention thus modified the configuration of the littoral leading to multiple consequences. © 2021, Saudi Society for Geosciences.